The Sweetest Cherry in an Apple Pie
by Exquisiteliltart
Summary: Regina is tending to an apple orchard on the edge of town and Emma offers to help to make up for ruining her 'happy ending.' It doesn't go as planned, but perhaps Emma's persistence will bring them closer. Update 10/21: This story is going to be longer than I intended, as I think I'm doing a SQ season 4 beauty rewrite on this beast of a season.
1. Chapter 1

It was still early, dawn breaking over the hills. Wispy clouds of fog lie in the valleys adding beauty and mystery to the serene landscape. Regina wiped her hands and looked over her orchard the trees were strong and the sun was shining, but with the ice wall looming in the near distance she knew she had to work quickly to ensure her apples wouldn't get frosted over. The work felt rewarding, like she was making progress on something when everything else in her life was at a stall. She heaved a sigh of frustration and narrowed her eyes as they zoned in on the familiar ugly yellow bug winding up the gravel drive.

Emma had ignored Henry's warning about disturbing Regina at her little apple juice manufacturing operation, but she had surely had to check for herself. She reasoned that it was her duty as Sheriff and to she did promise that she would work on getting Regina her happy ending. She hadn't really had time to take any steps toward making good on that promise. She braked hard and threw the car into park before jumping out and stomping toward the brunette. Just as Henry had said there was Regina, surprisingly dressed in her version of work clothes complete with gloves and sensible boots. Before Emma had a chance to greet her, Regina barked at her, her breath visible in the chilly fall air.

"What is it? You don't look to be in any immediate danger of bodily harm, so what now?"

"Henry told me you'd be out here. I thought you only had the one tree?" Emma took a moment to look around at the neat rows of hearty trees, all sporting ripe red fruit and glistening with morning dew.

Regina walked away, busying herself near the shed that housed the tools and machinery to care for the orchard. Her voice still had a bite, but it sounded slightly less acidic, "If you'd known of my orchard you may have sawed it down too."

"No…" Emma fronted indignantly, her posture rigid as she met two brown glaring eyes. She relented, admitting she wasn't above it, "Well, who knows?"

She felt foolish for coming out here to essentially check up on the brunette, but carried on because if nothing else it was good for her to get some fresh air. She had felt very claustrophobic in her parent's apartment and her nerves were becoming more and more frazzled by the day. Hook was a distraction, but the more time she spent with him, she realized the distraction he provided was more annoying than calming. Emma zoned back in and tried to catch up as Regina was speaking, actually speaking in a normal tone and Emma was missing it.

"Actually, the orchard is a more recent edition to Storybrooke. When Zelena cursed us I woke up with the knowledge of this farm. It appears that in her thinking I had everything I wanted that it actually came true… to an extent."

"Zelena willed this into existence with the force of her jealousy? Interesting." Emma raised an eyebrow, ever impressed by the power of the dark curse.

"Yes, along with some improvements to my home, and a few new thoroughbreds out at the stables," Regina kept her jaw firm making a show of how it pained her to exchange conversation with the blonde.

"Curse number two was like winning the lottery for you. Too bad she didn't throw in a new car," Emma attempted to joke with Regina for the first time since they used to sass each other to break the dire tension of saving Henry in Neverland. Regina only lifted an eyebrow and scowled. Emma swore at herself, and looked down finding sudden interest in the dirt. She kicked her boot at a half buried rock and shoved her hands in her pockets. The joke was in poor taste considering that she knew Regina didn't give a damn about material possessions. She was only interested in Henry and the love that Emma had purportedly ruined for her.

She dropped that line of conversation and rubbed her hands together, though the sun was bright it wasn't as warm as she originally thought and her fingers felt a sting of numbness in the cold, "So you're running a whole operation out here? "

"Did Henry tell you about that too?" Regina took a few steps closer, looking surprised. She thought Operation Mongoose was their secret and she immediately assumed Emma was referring to it.

"No-I'm not sure what you mean? He just said this is where I could find you, but you'd be busy."

"That's true," Regina nodded curtly, a passing look of cursory relief washing over her face. She went to work cleaning a bushel basket of apples in the outdoor trough attached to the shed.

"And you know how to do all of this- make cider and everything…apple-y?" Emma huffed at her own awkwardness. She never expected this little visit to be a warm and welcoming social encounter, but she was running out of things to ask about, and she was hoping to get more information.

"I've always been good with apples as you well know, but as far as making cider…yes, I suppose the knowledge was just instilled in my head during the curse, just like I've known it," Regina paused for a moment contemplating what that meant and if there was a connection to the story book. She had written stories and memories for all of the characters she had cursed and they had woken up with a whole different life that they believed in. She had taken away the happy endings just like that, albeit the price was steep, but she was certain there was a way to write in new happy endings in the same manner.

"So it's sorta like in "The Matrix" where they download how to fly a helicopter and do Kung Fu right into your brain?" Emma thought about 'the Matrix' a lot, she related to Neo on so many levels.

"I haven't tested my Kung Fu skills recently, but you should know that is how it works," Regina's lips twisted up in a hint of a smile. Sometimes she couldn't help herself when Emma said something earnest and though it was annoying that she felt the need to check up on her, a part of her was almost appreciative.

"Like my nurturing skills: no firsthand knowledge but yet there it was courtesy of you," she waited for a reaction from Regina at that acknowledgement, but there was none forthcoming. She continued to wash the apples scrubbing vigorously.

It had been quite a kick in the gut when she had drunk the potion and remembered everything. She was still astounded when something prompted a Regina induced memory of Henry. It was so real, and so surreal to know that those memories weren't actually hers. They had been a gift, and that reminded her of why she was out here trying to help. It prompted her to make another poor attempt at a joke, and the thing about jokes is that they were usually rooted in truth.

"Yep, you did all the hard work and then I swooped in and wallowed in all the glory."

"Per usual," came the snarky reply, hair flipping over Regina's shoulder as she turned her head in sharp acknowledgment.

"I don't know how to apologize for everything, but I want to try. So I'm yours for the day…actually, I'm yours for however long you want. I'm saying that you can make me do whatever you want," Emma heaved out her offer like she was pushing against a brick wall. She threw her arms up in surrender and conjured a smile even though she felt vulnerable, and sure Regina would send her away, reject her. Per usual.

She was prepared to either be sent away and told never to return or handed a shovel and instructed to shovel manure or whatever menial and tedious task list that Regina could assemble.

"Sheriff, this may sound familiar, but your services are not wanted or needed," Regina turned and placed a hand on her hip while gesturing out toward the long curving driveway.

There was Robin and his merry men, along with a troop of lost boys marching toward the orchard. Emma frowned and squinted into the morning sun, and turned back to Regina who wore a haughty look of triumph.

"Huh," Emma pursed her lips, more than a little peeved that her early morning gesture of good will was being trumped by a crew of forest/jungle people.

"It appears you aren't the only person in town trying to make something up to me," Regina looked past her and waved and smiled to Robin, who, Emma noted as a bloom of jealousy erupted in the pit of her stomach, smiled back just as widely. The glum thought that his teeth were pretty pearly white for someone whose dental hygiene regimen began and ended with chewing on twigs.

"Hello, Regina," Robin huffed as he neared, and damn it if Regina didn't go running up the hill to meet him. Emma jutted out her own hip and stared at them, wondering why she was feeling so bothered by this turn of events.

In a matter of minutes, bushel baskets were passed out to the lost boys and they set off to go picking, while the merry men watered and tended to the trees. Robin had rolled up his sleeves and stood at the wash trough hip to hip with Regina while they laughed together. What was so funny about washing apples, Emma didn't know. She hadn't been given a task, so she walked up and shouldered her way in between them, breaking up their little laugh fest.

"You're still here." Regina's face hardened and her lips straightened into a tight line. She all but turned her nose up, but made no move to step away from Emma's intrusion in her personal space.

"Yeah, I meant what I said. I want to help too," Emma wanted to say so much more, but she left it at that.

Regina considered her for a moment, her eyes dancing over her like she was weighing her options or gathering strength to give her a solid tongue lashing. She glanced over Emma's shoulder at Robin, and tilted her head.

"Emma…" she flattened her chin and spoke softly.

Emma turned around, she could not only feel but smell Robin's breath on her neck, and snapped coldly at him, "Would you give us a minute, bud?"

He slinked away but the blonde could feel his watchful eyes on her back, and stiffened. Her attention redirected back to Regina, who grumbled softly and then with apparent difficulty stated, "I believe everything is taken care of here, but if you really want to help perhaps you could stop by later tonight and help me with the first pressing?"

"Yes, okay, no problem," Emma felt a rise of excitement at the simple fact that Regina had given her an in. She had no effing clue with apple pressing entailed, but that didn't damper her enthusiasm in the least.

Regina brushed her away, and motioned to Robin giving him a smile and handing him a shiny ripe apple.

"That guy…" Emma muttered when she entered her car and started the engine. His wife was in a Popsicle coma and here he was giving Regina some sort of false hope by daring to flirt with her and bring in a whole crew to help her. It infuriated her, partly because he had showed her up on the chivalry front. She wrestled with her conflicting emotions all through the day.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Trigger warning: Mentions of child abuse.

I've spent a chunk of my evening learning how to make apple cider along with drinking apple cider from a local orchard as I write this. The title of this story is a lyric in the song "In the Springtime of His Voodoo" by Tori Amos. Give the song a listen if you like weirdness. I relate to this song so much and here's why:

"_Which leads us into Voodoo… the key for me here is he was going to show me spring. Going to… and so much of my life has been about going to. Instead of what is happening now, [it's] what are we going to? Not what are we really giving to each other now. What am I promising him? That whole idea of looking to this, the idea that somebody else carries the voodoo, instead of becoming part of the voodoo and accessing it yourself. That's runs through the whole thing."_  
><em>– Tori; B Side, 0596 _

….

Regina was at the forefront of her mind, but edging in a close second was the Snow Queen. Emma took Elsa on patrol with her, ignoring Hook's sad face and suggested he go be on call at the station with David. At that Hook threw up his hand and went inside, he always did seem quite eager to spend time with Charming.

"Emma do you fear your magic?" Elsa asked as they slowly cruised down the streets of Storybrooke.

"I don't know if I fear it. I don't have confidence in it. I can't count on it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't," Emma tried not to dwell on her magical aspects too much, she hoped that Regina would continue her lessons when she was able to make things right. She shrugged off the thought that it might never happen, and tried to have hope.

"Can I tell you something?" Elsa's voice grew quiet, and Emma nodded looking straight on as she drove, but listening intently.

"When I was very young, my sister and I were playing, and we were playing with my magic. I didn't even know what to call it then, but something bad happened. She got hurt, because of me. She also froze to death," Elsa trailed off, the memory felt so vivid and fresh in her mind. She hadn't told it to anyone, but it was always in the back of her mind.

Emma wasn't sure how to respond, so she just listened. She sighed wearily and a long repressed, almost forgotten memory came back to her suddenly cause her to hit the brakes hard.

"Did you see something?" Elsa had her hand on the door handle, about to race off in pursuit.

Emma took a deep breath, and another, trying to allow her heart rate to come down. "No, I didn't see anything…" she looked at Elsa, eyes wide, "but I remembered something."

"What is it?"

"No…no, it's nothing," Emma brushed off the panic rising in her stomach. "There couldn't be a connection. It's not possible."

Emma shut down the thoughts racing through her head, she didn't want to share the memory she had with Elsa because it was brought on by the story about her sister, and it was fruitless anyhow. There was one person she did want to ask about it: Regina.

Just as the sun was coming up when Emma first visited the orchard, it was now setting in the western sky. The glowing orange orb cast golden light on the land, and she took a minute to appreciate the beauty. As she drove closer she noticed that Robin and his troops were nowhere in sight, hopefully having gone back to their camp before dark.

She located Regina on the back side of the shed, bushels and bushels of apples were set up in neat rows near two large wooden machines that Emma assumed did the work in making apple cider.

"You're back," Regina sounded less than thrilled, but Emma noticed the twinge of a smile on her lip, as she moved around her and watched as she cut the wormy parts out of the apples and placed them in a bucket to wash.

"Did you think I wouldn't be? I always follow through on my promises," Emma hooked her thumbs in her belt loop, cringing at how cheesy she sounded even to her own ears. She was trying to play this Regina situation delicately and seemed to be failing on every level, but that had been her luck for a while now.

Regina ignored her and started in with the business at hand, "you are going to be grinding while I add the apples. Once the apples are ground into pomace, we put them in the press and crank out the cider."

All too eager to please Emma started cranking the grinding wheel, and after the first bushel of apples were ground she had worked up a sweat, her hands were going numb and her arms were aching.

"This is a lot of work. Can't you just use magic to get this done?"

"I'm afraid not, this is handmade cider. Magic does enhance the flavor of many dishes though," Regina looked pleased when she heard Emma grunt, turning the crank again and again.

"Yeah, I say the same thing about Lowry's seasoned salt. It certainly does some magic to baked potato," Emma smiled through gritted teeth and Regina turned away to not indulge Emma in the fact that she had managed to make her laugh.

They worked in silence for a while, Emma pausing once in a while to shake the cramps out of her wrists, "Where's Henry? Don't you want him to reap the rewards of good hard work? Bare hands, from the ground up and all that stuff?"

"He doesn't have the constitution for physical labor, but he is working. Didn't he tell you?" Regina lit up when she realized that Emma didn't know about Henry's new after school position at the pawn shop.

"Working? He isn't old enough to get a job. Is he stocking shelves at the store? A bus boy at Granny's? Feeding the strays at the shelter?" Emma ran through every possibility of job that her son might have gotten in the past few days and hadn't mentioned to her.

Regina chuckled at Emma's confusion and subsequent guesses, "He's working with his grandfather, Mr. Gold, as his apprentice."

"Tell me you are not serious? And you approve of this?" Emma's mind was racing at this development. Despite all of her feelings for Neal, she still didn't want her son around Rumplestiltskin. Regina should know this better than anyone, as she had said that Rumple was the one who corrupted her heart, introduced her to dark magic and everything…

"I'm not without my reservations, I admit, but I think he can handle himself and its good for him to take some responsibility," the brunette ran a hand through her hair and looked pointedly at the grinder and then up at Emma. The woman was grinding in double time and chunks of apple were flying out from the stainless steel blades and splattering all over.

"I just don't think it's a good idea, and not only that you—we—you and I should have discussed it before even allowing him to apply," Emma was shaken up.

"Henry didn't sign a binding contract, he is an at-will employee, meaning he can quit at any time. If things don't work out, or it interferes with his schooling, we can reevaluate, but for now I don't see the harm."

Emma paused to breathe, squeezing her hands and feeling the sore spots where blisters would like form. The pain was a pleasant distraction from the fear she felt at being left out from Henry's life. She was about to say something, but realized there was no need, because Regina, of all people, understood that feeling better than anyone.

"What you're saying is reasonable, and I suppose we can just wait and see how it goes," just as Emma calmed down other thoughts raced into her head, and she started up with the grinding faster than Regina could throw in apples.

"So it's settled. Is there something else you need to get off your chest?" Regina hesitated in opening the invitation to start on the topic of new issues, but with the way Emma's eyes were blazing, and the speed of which she was grinding, the brunette thought if she could keep her agitated they would finish the apples in one evening.

"Yeah, well, um if you're asking: why are you letting Robin rub your apples?"

Regina was bent over changing out the full basket of apples and pulling the mesh bag tight for when they went to the press. She stopped in her tracks, and glared at her barely holding in her anger, "He was just helping me, the same as you are. I'm working on curing his wife's ailment as quickly as I can, but as you can see I have priorities."

"Yeah, I can see you want to keep her out of the picture as long as possible, but don't want to feel the guilt," Emma snorted, and rolled her eyes. It was a flippant and dangerous move, and Regina looked pissed as hell.

"I would say you've done and said enough on the matter, and I would highly recommend you mind your own business. Though you seem to be incapable of that, just like your loving mother," Regina was hissing a bit, and spitting a little. More like foaming at the mouth. So it was a sore subject, and maybe Emma shouldn't have brought it up, especially since she needed to ask Regina for her help on the Snow Queen debacle.

"Okay, I'm sorry I said anything. It's not my place to judge, and I know you're trying to help. I don't think you're the one acting inappropriately. It's him, Regina. If he claims to love his wife so much, he shouldn't be out here, stringing you along," Emma was waving her arms around as she tried to make her point to Regina. Who had quieted and was busying herself with little tasks, but Emma noticed a tear roll down her cheek even though she had turned her face away.

Emma sighed, and ended her thought, "He needs to slow his roll. He can't have his apple pie and eat it too. Okay?"

"I think we've done enough for this evening. I'm sure you have places you'd rather be, Sheriff," Regina tried to dismiss her curtly and offered no response to how she truly felt on the matter. It didn't surprise Emma in the least, but she had to speak her mind. She was looking out for Regina's best interest. Her instinct was to wrap her up in a hug, but she didn't dare.

"Um, I don't have anywhere to be, and I'm enjoying the grinding. It's helping me work out some of my frustrations," Emma dialed back a notch, and softened her tone.

"Very well, you've already made a mess, so we might as well keep going," Regina sniffled almost inaudibly and threw more apples into the grinder.

Emma actually hoped the conversation wouldn't take too much longer cause her arms were about to give out. She was certain she wouldn't be able to move them tomorrow, and her mind wandered trying to remember if she had any bio freeze back the apartment.

"This Snow Queen situation," Emma started as Regina interrupted her.

"I suppose you're going to ask for my help with that too."

"Well, yeah, that's kinda what we do if you hadn't noticed: Save the town from threats and curses. I mean last one was your half-sister, this new lady is probably your great aunt thrice removed, pissed off about something your mom did back in the Enchanted forest," the blonde looked down realizing she had yet again gone a bit overboard with her grinding despite her muscle fatigue.

"Okay, that's really enough, let go of the grinder and stretch your arms for a bit," Regina's brow furrowed, she wasn't sure Emma knew that she was sparking a bit as little magic blasts were dancing and crackling off of her. It was best to calm her down before she hurt herself, which she knew from experience she was prone to do.

"What do you need my help with?"

Emma took a deep breath, "Do you remember when I first got here and you looked into my juvie records illegally?"

"Yes," Regina made a motion with her hand, of everything she was really gonna bring that up again?

"I assume if you had my jail record, then you had access to all of my juvenile records- my case files?" Emma asked hopefully.

"I do recall some of the information. What specifically are you asking about?" Regina leaned forward, intrigued by the line of questioning and also the pained look that had sprung on Emma's face.

"I had a memory of being really cold. When I was three years old, a family gave me away, or I was taken back. I don't know all of the details. I just remember they said that I had tried to run away, and gotten locked outside all night, but no one could determine if it was an accident or if my adoptive family had put me outside on purpose—to um…abuse me," Emma was choking over the words trying to distance herself from the memory and the facts as she was told later on, but she knew she didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle.

"Thing is, I remember being cold…I mean really, really freezing, but I don't ever remember being outside," Emma looked up at Regina, seeking strength. She met warm eyes, and the strength and concern she saw there encouraged her.

"I almost froze to death, but I never left my bed."


	3. Chapter 3

"_And right there for a minute I knew you so well" _

…_._

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting a tension headache. There was always so much to worry about. There was just so much to be done. Why she had entertained the notion of having Emma out here in her sanctuary was currently beyond her. The woman brought chaos and destruction wherever she went. She hadn't really convinced herself of that yet, and she feared she never would. She felt the sadness radiating from the other woman's heart directly and she felt a pang in her own chest. It troubled her that despite everything she empathized with Emma.

Emma noticed how tired Regina looked. Fatigue wore at her frayed edges and made her face seem softer, blurry, though that was from fighting the welling of tears in her own eyes. She felt self-conscious and dumb for sharing her story with the woman who sat, ever ladylike, her behind perched on an apple box across from her. She was probably remembering everything wrong. It was all wrong she thought as panic overtook her. She shouldn't have even come to the orchard.

"You're bleeding," Regina distracted Emma from her thoughts of self-loathing and took her hand to examine the cuts on her palms from churning that cursed grinder.

Emma sniffled, wearily, head bobbing, "Yeah, so do I at least get a glass of cider out of this?"

Regina licked her lips, never taking her eyes off of Emma's hands as she turned them over and ran her thumbs over the cuts healing them instantly with tingling honey scented magic, "It's a process. Have you ever heard the story of the Little Red Hen?"

"You mean Chicken Little? Don't tell me that shit is real too," Emma laughed and her voice cracked in the evening quiet.

"Hardly, the Little Red Hen is a story to impart work ethic and personal initiative in children. No wonder you are unfamiliar," there was a lilt to Regina's voice as she finally looked up to meet Emma's watery gaze.

The Sheriff sighed in relief, realizing that Regina was teasing her in her own way. She examined her smooth, undamaged palms and flexed her now pleasantly tingling fingers "Thank you."

She pulled on her elbow, wincing as she stretched her arm, and twisted her spine, "I'm gonna have some beefed up forearms after all that grinding."

"I'll help you," Regina offered freely, her tone sincere.

"…With my forearms?" Emma flexed her muscles, caught off guard by Regina's candor. She didn't think that's what she meant, but it was sort of non sequitur and she was feeling kind of fuzzy from Regina's healing magic.

"No, to take down the Snow Queen, I will help you. That is what you were asking for, I presume?"

"Yes, so I did hurt her once- well, stunned her with my magic, you definitely would have approved," Emma had been dying to tell Regina about how awesomely she had used her powers, and she finally had the chance. "Anyway, I gave her the magic smack down, but I know if I can hurt her or weaken her, we could take down the ice wall that's surrounding the town."

"You think it's just going to disappear? Emma, we have to be careful how we approach this because if it melts too quickly where do you think all of that water is going to go?" Regina had stood and was pacing in front of her apple press, her hand pressed to her temple.

"Oh..Tidal wave through Main Street?" Emma hadn't considered the possibility of the ice wall causing a rip roaring flash flood taking out the town entirely.

"Yes and the damage would be astronomical," Regina contemplated the options, but she wasn't coming up with any solutions on her own. They needed to do some research, but being so unfamiliar with the Snow Queen's brand of magic was a challenge.

Emma cleared her throat and got that brave glint in her eye that Regina had come to dread and admire, "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me about Robin and his- Marian, but do you think I can do something about the ice curse? I am the savior, product of true love and a bag of chips."

"Yes, we're all quite well versed with your resume, but you left off convicted felon," Regina rolled her eyes to let Emma know she was teasing again. She raised an eyebrow and couldn't stop herself from asking, "Are you suggesting that you'd like to try giving Marian a kiss?"

"Okay, no, I mean I saved her life, but I don't think my kiss would do any good. Seriously, you do want to fix her, right? I don't think it's fair to any of you for her to stay in that condition for long," Emma sensed she was overstepping her bounds as she literally watched Regina's own ice wall come up around her. Her posture stiffened and the warmth in her face disintegrated before Emma's eyes.

"That's enough talk for now. We need to do some pressing and bottling before my apple bits turn brown. Are you sufficiently rested?" Regina swallowed and busied herself to set up the press.

"What manner of labor do I have to do with this thing?" Emma moved over to the large press and Regina handed her a big stick.

"I put the apple pomace in this mesh bag, and then the bag goes over the wooden slats. Under it is the bin to catch the cider, and you put that stick in and twist to press the juice out of the apples," Regina explained it matter of fact, but she was obviously excited about the process.

The blonde felt content for the first time all day, she willed her racing mind to quiet and simply focused on the chore at hand. All she had to do was twist the stick like she was tightening the lug nuts on a wheel. They fell into a companionable silence working with the press until all of the apples they had managed to grind were sufficiently turned into cider. They rolled the newly filled barrel into the large refrigeration unit that was housed in the work shed.

Regina took two cups from the small cupboard that hung over the sink inside the cozy shed, and filled each with fresh cider. She presented it to Emma, who accepted it with a raise of her eyebrow and a quirk of her mouth.

"Bottom's up," Emma took a long satisfying gulp of the cool, sweet liquid and it instantly quenched her dire thirst.

"I was going to warn you that there may be some seeds still, we need to do a final strain on the batch, but that can wait until tomorrow," Regina smiled as she enjoyed the taste of handpicked perfection.

How Regina had managed to work outside all day and still look absolutely flawless puzzled, impressed and irked Emma all at once, "When do you turn it into alcohol?"

"As I said, it's a process."

Emma nodded understanding from Regina's tone that she meant forgiveness was a process as well. She drained her glass and looked at the bottom hoping to find some answers, "What do we do next?"

"I think we should call it a day," Regina reached her hands behind her and cracked her back as she retrieved her coat and purse from the rack in the corner.

"I mean about the Snow Queen, ice Wall, ice curse, and Henry's new job," Emma sounded exasperated thinking about all of her problems, and not even including her issues with her parents and lack of respect for her space, and her feelings on Hook.

Regina thought for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth, "I'd like to talk to your new friend, the other Ice Queen, and see if I can glean any insight on a remedy from her powers."

"If that would help then I'm sure she'll agree to it, but I don't want you studying her like a lab rat," she said in defense of her friend, Emma hopped up to sit on top of the deep freeze and let her legs swing off the side.

"I'll be gentle," Regina promised with a snicker, turning away and smoothing the hair down on the back of her neck. "I'll get a copy of your case files so we can look into your possible connection with this Snow Queen. Do you really think she was your former caretaker?"

"I don't know, I went to so many homes and I was so young…I just don't remember her face," she tried to bring back the memory, but failed.

"I understand, and I may have a way to put those puzzle pieces together, but we will speak more on this matter tomorrow."

Emma hopped down from the freezer, as Regina turned off the lights and pulled out her keys to lock up the shed, "I'm glad that you're going to help. I was hoping you'd consider continuing my magic lessons at some point."

Regina glanced up at her and smiled wearily as they stepped outside into the brisk air.

"First things first. Goodnight, Emma."

Before Emma could answer she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

"Goodnight, Regina."

Emma made her way home, and locked herself in the bathroom, ignoring the calls of Hook and her over eager parental unit who wanted to tell her all about baby Neal's daily progress. She didn't need any more distractions. As she attempted to ease her aching muscles in the hot bathwater, she felt a glimmer of hope at Regina agreeing to help. She let her eyes slip shut and remembered the taste of cider on her lips and for a brief moment she felt calm. Perhaps her bad luck was ending.


End file.
